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Cutaneous Mucormycosis is a serious and rare fungal infection that preferentially affects
immunosuppressed patients. Treatment of these conditions is difficult and requires rapid
initiation of antifungal therapy, often in combination with extensive surgical debridement.
Despite adequate treatment, overall mortality still reaches approximately 50%. This work
focuses on analyzing a clinical case of Mucormycosis in an individual with
immunocompromise. 47-year-old female patient; In February 2023, he was diagnosed with
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) in lymphoid blast crisis, with involvement of the CNS. He
had prolonged hospitalizations for cycles of chemotherapy with the GATLA AyA protocol.
There were episodes of febrile neutropenia due to bacteremia associated with a central
venous catheter (CVC) due to Acinetobacter pitti; Urinary infection due to Klebsiella
pneumoniae NDM; CVC-associated bacteremia due to Serratia marcescesns and
bacteremia due to Klebsiella pneumoniae NDM, with multiple antibiotic treatments. During
chemotherapy treatment, he received initial primary antifungal prophylaxis with triweekly
liposomal Amphotericin B (5-mg/kg/day). Subsequently, prophylaxis with oral Voriconazole
(200 mg every 12 hours) without the possibility of dose adjustment due to voluntary
discharge of the patient with abandonment of controls and treatment. The patient returned
to hematological controls four months later, and progression of the underlying disease was
confirmed. Hospitalization was decided due to feverish registers, poor general condition,
and laboratory tests with neutropenia. Broad spectrum treatment was started (suspended
due to negative cultures) and prophylaxis with TMP/SMX, Acyclovir and Voriconazole.
Rescue chemotherapy was started with the FLAG-Ida protocol on the fifth day of
hospitalization. In subsequent days, the patient developed a rapidly appearing dark
necrotic lesion on the right cheek, with a surrounding erythematous plaque, without
spontaneous pain. Due to suspected fungal infection, lesion samples were taken and
coverage was expanded with liposomal amphotericin B bitherapy (5 mg/kg/day) and
voriconazole EV (200 mg every 12 hours). The CT scan of the facial mass reported
mucosal thickening with total occupation of the frontal, maxillary, sphenoid, ethmoidal and
mastoid sinuses, associated with decreased permeability of the ostiomeatal complexes
and hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates. In the necrotic tissue sent to the Mycology
Laboratory, non-septate hyaline filaments were observed, both fresh and in Giemsa and
Grocott staining. The sample was fragmented with sterile scissors and aliquots were
seeded in tubes containing Sabouraud medium. In all the seeded tubes, after 48 hours of
incubation at 37°C and 28°C, the development of a fungus with similar macroscopic
characteristics was observed. The microscopic study with lactophenol blue carried out
from the culture showed the presence of thick non-septate hyphae, branched
sporangiophores, pyriform sporangia with conical processes alternating rhizoids and the
presence of stolons. These micromorphological characteristics allowed the fungus to be
identified as belonging to the genus Lichtheimia sp. Due to study results, antifungal
treatment was adapted to monotherapy with liposomal amphotericin B and complementary
surgical excision. In this clinical case, the rapid diagnosis and prompt intervention of the
medical team allowed for a favorable evolution of the patient to date.
MUCORMICOSIS CUTANEA PRIMARIA POR Lichtheimia EN UNA PACIENTE CON
LEUCEMIA MIELOIDE CRÓNICA
AUTORES:
Alvarez Christian1; Noblega Luciana María1, Colombres María Sofía1, Coronel Melina1,
Nastar María Valeria2, Araoz Benjamín2, Rodriguez Raimondo Mariana2
1-División Micología – Dirección de Laboratorio de Salud Pública de Tucumán. Argentina.
2-Unidad Infectología - Hospital Néstor Kirchner. San Miguel de Tucumán. Tucumán.
Argentina.